The class of polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) has been known for some time. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286 produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. U.K. 1,081,304 produced similar materials of higher carbon monoxide content in the presence of trialkylphosphine complexes of palladium salts as catalyst. Nozaki extended this process to produce linear alternating polymers in the presence of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412.
More recently, the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon, e.g., carbon monoxide and ethylene or carbon monoxide, ethylene and propylene, has become of greater interest in part because of the greater availability of the polymers in quantity. These polymers, often referred to as polyketones or polyketone polymers, have been shown to be of the repeating formula --CO--(--A--)-- wherein A is the moiety of unsaturated hydrocarbon polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation. For example, when the unsaturated hydrocarbon is ethylene, the polyketone polymer is represented by the repeating formula --CO--(--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --)--. The general process for the more recent production of polyketone polymer is illustrated by a number of published European patent applications including 121,965, 181,014, 213,671 and 257,663. The process typically involves a catalyst composition formed from a compound of a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, nickel or cobalt, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.
The resulting polyketone polymers are relatively high molecular weight thermoplastics having utility in the production of shaped articles such as containers and automotive parts which are produced by processing the polymer according to known methods such as injection molding and extrusion. For some particular applications it has been found desirable to have properties for the polymeric composition which are somewhat different from those of the polyketone polymer. It would be of advantage to retain the desirable properties of the polyketone polymers and yet improve other properties. These advantages are often obtained through the provision of a polymer blend.